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Daily Business Report — May 23, 2011

40 Under 40 Awards Deadline

The deadline for submitting nominations for SD METRO’s 40 Under 40 Awards for 2011 is eight days away. You have until May 30 to nominate people you believe are making substantial contributions to their community, their companies, organizations or institutions. You will find a nomination form on the front page of our Website (sandiegometro.com). Fill it out and submit. Editor’s Tip: Describe your nominee in depth. Give plenty of examples of major accomplishments.

CCDC Hosts Small Business Workshop on June 16

Small businesses are invited to participate in a free networking and business development workshop — “Subs for Subs” — on Thursday, June 16 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier. The event is hosted by Centre City Development Corp. (CCDC) in collaboration with the Public Agency Consortium (PAC), 13 local public agencies seeking to promote and foster diversity and opportunities for businesses. The workshop will provide small businesses with the opportunity to build relationships with large prime and general contractors throughout San Diego and learn how to bid on public projects. “Small businesses are major contributors to the economy and we recognize the benefits of helping them navigate the process for public projects,” said Frank Alessi, CCDC executive vice president and CFO. “We are pleased to provide an opportunity to improve the participation rate of minority, women-owned, disabled, disadvantaged and small business enterprises in the public sector and provide tools to help them build lasting business relationships.”

Businesses will have the opportunity to showcase their trade or service to hundreds of other exhibitors and attendees in the exhibit hall. Break-out sessions, featuring public-and private-sector speakers, will cover business development and current capital improvement and future construction projects. Session topics include: The Squeeze Plan: How to Avoid Hidden Risks in Public Works Projects; Recycling Your Asphalt Pavement Assets; How to Comply with the city of San Diego’s Construction & Demolition Debris Deposit Ordinance; Marketing Strategies, Website Tactics, and Selling Tools for Contractors and Small Business; Capitalize on Capital Improvement Projects with SANDAG; Exploring Business Opportunities with Public Agencies; San Diego International Airport: Where Small Businesses Land.

For more information and to register, visit ccdc.com.

Jobs Report:

Employment Up by 3,000 Over Month

Up by 13,600 Jobs Over the Year

The unemployment rate in the San Diego County was 9.8 percent in April, down from a revised 10.2 percent in March and below the year-ago estimate of 10.3 percent, the state Employment Development Department reported. This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 11.7 percent for California and 8.7 percent for the nation during the same period.

• Professional and business services posted the greatest year-over gain, adding 7,400 jobs. Administrative and support and waste services (up 4,200) contributed to more than half of the employment growth in this sector, mostly from employment services (up 1,900). Professional, scientific, and technical services increased by 2,800 jobs, while management of companies and enterprises gained 400 jobs.

• Four other nonfarm industries also added jobs over the year, including leisure and hospitality (up 4,500); educational and health services (up 3,700); trade, transportation, and utilities (up 1,900); and other services (up 300).

• Five other nonfarm sectors recorded year-over jobs losses, but the most significant declines came from construction (down 1,700), manufacturing (down 1,200), and financial activities (down 1,100).

Kleinfelder Group Ranks Among High-Earning Firms

The San Diego-based Kleinfelder Group is one of 65 civil engineering firms in the country recognized in the May issue of CE News for earning $100 million or more in revenue. The Zweig White publication, which serves the civil engineering field, said Kleinfelder had $305.5 million in revenue in 2010. The firm was ranked 37th on the list. The company is headed by William Siegal, the president and CEO, and has 1,700 employees. Bechtel Group Inc. was ranked No. 1 on the list with 2010 revenue of $30.8 billion. Fluor Corp. came in at No. 2 with $20.8 billion in 2010 revenue. KBR ranked No. 3 with $12 billion in 2010 revenue. Kleinfelder, an employee-owned company, has more than 60 offices worldwide. It is celebrating its 50th year in business this year. “Our growth from a small family-owned business half a century ago to the nearly 2,000-employee-owner, global firm we are today can be attributed to the hard work and innovation of our employees, both in the field and in their communities,” Siegel said last month when the company announced that it has made a commitment of $50,000 and more than 3,500 volunteer hours to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

New President Chosen for Mesa College

Pamela Luster

Pamela T. Luster, interim vice president of academic services at Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif., has been selected as the new president of San Diego Mesa College. Her appointment must be ratified by San Diego Community College District trustees at their May 26 meeting. Luster has served as vice president of student services and dean of academic services at Las Positas College. She held a number of positions at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif., including dead of career education and workforce development. She earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree at San Jose State University. Student enrollment at Mesa College averages between 22,000 and 24,000 each semester.

Salk Institute Researcher Receives Royal Honor

Joanne Chory

Salk Institute molecular biologist Joanne Chory, an expert on how plants regulate their growth, has been named a foreign member of the Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific academy. She was called “a beacon of scientific excellence and relentless ambassador for plant research in the international community.” Chory, a professor in the Institute’s Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, pioneered the analysis of plant responses to their environment using a molecular genetic approach in Arabidopsis thaliana, a small weed that is easy to grow, prolific and has the smallest genome of any flowering plant. Her laboratory has led the plant field for 20 years, making major discoveries in how plants grow and develop. She elucidated how plants perceive light; identified how chloroplasts signal to the nucleus; and defined a novel pathway for the biosynthesis of the plant hormone auxin. She also discovered a novel steroid hormone in plants, identified the steroid receptor and elegantly dissected the signaling network.

Chory joined the faculty of the Salk Institute in 1988.

La Mesa’s Highwood Apartments Sold

The Highwood Apartments, a 14-unit complex at 4236 Parks Ave. in La Mesa, has been sold for $1.49 million to Highwood Investors LLC. The sellers were Mario and Antonina Crivello. The property was built in 1968. It has 10 two-bedroom, two-bath units, two three-bedroom, two-bath units and two one-bedroom, one-bath units. Adam Paulsen of ACRE Investment Real Estate Services represented the seller and buyer in the transaction.

NAWBO Hosts June 10 Speaker

Wanda Allen, a senior manager with Send Out Cards, will address members of the San Diego chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners on June 10 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Brandman University, 7460 Mission Valley Road, San Diego. Her talk is titled “The Power of Follow-Up.” NAWBO San Diego members can attend at no cost, while the fee for visitors is $25. Box lunches will be provided. Online registration and more information are available at nawbo-sd.org.

South Bay Power Plant Prepared for Demolition

Dynegy, the company holding the lease to the South Bay Power Plant, which has been deactivated, is assessing the removal of asbestos and other hazardous material from the plant in a precursor to the plant’s demolition. The Port of San Diego owns the plant, which was shut down in December 2010 after the California Independent System Operator said its power was no longer needed. Port officials said the abatement of hazardous materials could take 10 months. “We are moving along and have identified what permits are necessary to remove the structure,” said Port Commissioner Ann Moore, who represents the City of Chula Vista. “We are collaborating closely with the city of Chula Vista to ensure that we can do this expeditiously and safely.”

Senior Health & Resource Fair to be Held on May 25

St. Paul’s Senior Homes & Services is opening its doors to the seniors for its annual Senior Health & Resource Fair on May 25 from 9 a.m. to noon. Held in conjunction with National Senior Health & Fitness Day, the fair will offer free health screenings, informational seminars and fitness classes at St. Paul’s Villa, located at 2340 Fourth Ave. in San Diego. The free event will enable seniors of all ages an opportunity to try activities such as: Wii,bowling and tennis as well as square dancing and strength and conditioning classes. There will be demonstrations on the Dakim Brain Fitness machines, and vendors will be in attendance with information on elder law issues, health screenings, senior safety, dementia, educational programs, volunteer opportunities and nutrition, among others. Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood will be speaking about elder crime and fraud issues at 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (619) 239-6900 or visit stpaulseniors.org.

Small Business Workshops

SCORE San Diego continues its series of low-cost workshops. Fees range from $29 to $109, depending on the program. To register online, visit score-sandiego.org. For more information, call (619) 557-7272.

May 24 –Marketing & Contracting with State & Local Governments – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

May 25 –QuickBooks Advanced – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

May 25 –How to Start a Nonprofit – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation in Point Loma (2508 Historic Decatur Road, #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).

May 26 –Internet Marketing 302: Develop a Winning Email Marketing Success Strategy – 9 a.m. to noon at National University in National University in Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, San Diego 92011; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

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Voice Your Opinion

We Want Your Opinions on San Diego’s Big Issues
In the coming months, Probosky Research (one of California’s leading opinion research firms) will continue its partnership with SD METRO to survey San Diego residents about topics of interest to our readers. We’d like to throw open the door for suggestions for topics. What do you want to know? What do you think you know, but aren’t sure? What are you certain you know, but want to prove it beyond doubt? Ideally, we’d like to see questions that have to do with public policy.
Some areas may include Mayor Filner’s first 100 days job performance, should the city be responsible for economic growth and the creation of new jobs, how important are infrastructure improvements to our daily lives (streets and bridges, etc.), how important is water independence, how satisfied are residents with public transit or how do city residents value Balboa Park and other open spaces? Do you believe the City Council should revive the Plaza de Panama plan for Balboa Park?
You can email Probolsky Research directly with your ideas: info@probolskyresearch.com